2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shaevitz
A surname indicating a person of Slavic origin or descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Shaevitz. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaevitz surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Shaevitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaevitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shaevitz
The surname Shaevitz has its origins in Eastern Europe, likely tracing back to the Jewish communities of Russia, Poland, or Ukraine in the 16th-18th centuries. It may be derived from the Yiddish word "shave," meaning "beautiful," or related to the Hebrew name "Sheva." Alternatively, it could stem from a place name or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shaevitz surname appears in a registry of Jewish communities in the Pale of Settlement, a region of the Russian Empire where Jews were permitted to reside, in the late 18th century. The name was likely concentrated in shtetls (small towns) and cities with sizable Jewish populations.
During the 19th century, many Shaevitz families immigrated to the United States and other countries, fleeing persecution and seeking better opportunities. Notable individuals with this surname include Abram Shaevitz (1867-1932), a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City, who founded the Shaevitz Foundation.
Another significant figure was Miriam Shaevitz (1908-1992), a social worker and activist who played a crucial role in establishing the field of gerontology and advocating for the rights of older adults. Her work influenced policies and programs aimed at improving the lives of the elderly.
In the realm of academia, Nathan Shaevitz (1925-2012) was a distinguished physicist who made significant contributions to the study of neutrinos and particle physics. He held faculty positions at Columbia University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The name Shaevitz has also been associated with the arts. Mervyn Shaevitz (1923-2008) was a renowned American artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures. His works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Another notable figure was Samuel Shaevitz (1902-1987), a prominent lawyer and judge who served on the New York Supreme Court and played a pivotal role in shaping legal precedents and upholding justice.
While the surname Shaevitz may not be among the most common, it has left a lasting impact across various fields, from business and philanthropy to science, art, and law, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaevitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaevitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaevitz bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shaevitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaevitz
Shaevitz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,432 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,432 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shaevitz surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaevitz bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Shaevitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaevitz?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Shaevitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Shaevitz?
Shaevitz ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Shaevitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shaevitz.
Has Shaevitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaevitz went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaevitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaevitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shaevitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaevitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shaevitz (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shaevitz mean?
A surname indicating a person of Slavic origin or descent. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shaevitz (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Shaevitz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.